Pokemon Colosseum: Rewrite
by SeekerD
Summary: In revival process.
1. Captured

_Hello, and welcome to_ Pokemon Colosseum: A Fanfic Adaption_. I hope there are other fans of the game out there other than myself, because I'll feel really lonely if no one is. Anyway, time for basic background._

_Though I will admit that the Pokemon Colosseum was created into a manga adaption, it is very rare and unknown, since it was never collected in a digest. And since I found Colosseum to be an entertaining game, I decided to make my own adaption. But you don't have to be a fan of the game. Anyone can read it. (But I will still feel lonely if I'm the only fan here...)_

_Pokemon is owned by Nintendo and its appropriate creators. This story is fan-based and therefore has no influence on the actual game or the manga adaption,_ Pokemon Colosseum Snatcher Leo

_Enjoy! And don't forget to review._

**0--0--00--0--0**

**Pokémon Colosseum: A Fanfic Adaption**

**Authored by Kaitou Kouji**

**Based on the Nintendo Game, **_**Pokémon Colosseum**_

**0—0**

**CHAPTER ONE**

**Captured**

The sun was setting over the horizon of Orre. Not a good thing, thought the one person who did not wish for the sun to go off to its slumber. She bit her bottom lip. She rubbed her fingers against her thumbs and palms of her hands. Not a good thing at all.

Rui's grandparents had always told her not to travel at night—not in Orre. And worst of all, Pyrite Town. Pyrite Town's reputation was spotty, at best, known for its thugs and rampant Pokémon battles. For Rui, traveling here, without a companion, was very similar to suicide.

Her outfit didn't help much either: a purple shirt with a revealed navel, jean shorts and jean jacket. Her red hair, tied in pigtails, practically served as a flare. Why did she have to be born with red hair? Why not brown or black? She wouldn't mind blonde if it meant keeping out of sight.

Perhaps I should return to Phenac City, she thought. There she wouldn't worry as much. But it was far. And the transportation there had stopped just the same as it did to Agate Village. Her best bet now would be to find a hotel.

"Hey, gorgeous," said a voice. Her thoughts were broken by it.

Rui turned. Next to her was one of the people she was hoping _not_ to run into. He was a bulky male with a white and red muscle shirt and sweat shorts. His brown hair grew back to his shoulders.

"Uh…hi…" she stammered.

"So, gorgeous, how about you and me take a night on the town? Come on, I'll make it worth your while."

Rui didn't even want to know what he meant. She looked about for something or someone that could possibly help her. Without much of an option, she pointed to the sky and said, "Look! A flying saucer!"

The man turned his head quickly. He gazed about the sky to find nothing. And when he turned back around, Rui was gone. He was completely dumbfounded.

Rui took a shortcut through the alleyways; not much attention that way; but definitely an assortment of obstacles. The guy wasn't following her. She slowed her pace to make sure—nope, no one. She sighed her relief and proceeded treading the corridor between the building walls. Grime covered the walls and litter covered the ground—Pyrite was overdue for sanitation.

She wasn't an expert of the alleyways but Rui was fortunate to find her way out. She realized she had completely crossed the entirety of the city, exiting just outside the large, rundown dome that was Pyrite Colosseum. Boards had either fallen off, were still sticking on for dear life, or just covered in a rusty brown. (They used to be white.)

"Kick his ass!" came a shout from up ahead. A crowd gathered past the bridge over the "Gap of Pyrite"—a narrow, deep canyon with no sight of the bottom. Jeering and shouting and vulgar remarks mixed in the air. What was going on, Rui wondered. She slithered her way through the crowd, ducking random swings of arms and bewaring tripping over feet.

As it would figure, for Pyrite Town, there was a battle. On one end, two males dressed in the typical "thug" attire of the town—one had spiky blonde hair with red streaks and was dressed in a black, sleeveless muscle shirt and baggy pants. His accomplice was dressed in a black baggy shirt, a pair of pants, an orange fleece jacket, and a wool hat on his head. They both wore sunglasses (but Rui was unsure of whether it was to block their eyes from the setting sun).

On the other end was a boy, backed into a corner by the hate and curses of the crowd. Still, his Pokémon stood ready for battle. It was a small, round-bodied ferret with a tan ring on its belly and a striped dark-and-light brown tail. _(Sentret, the Scout Pokémon)_

"Look at this, Folly!" exclaimed the man in the wool hat. "This kid beat my Spinarak!"

"Well, what do you know, Trudly?" replied Folly. "You're right! I think we've got a powerful kid on our hands."

"Whatever should we do? We can't go home looking like wimps."

There was something mocking in their words. They were show boding, a play set up just for the audience. And this kid wasn't fooled; he was annoyed.

"Will you just send out your next Pokémon?"

"Kids should be patient," said the one named Trudly. "Or they'll get a beating." He threw a Pokeball—a spherical contraption with a red top and white bottom—into the air. It opened on a hinge, allowing a white stream of light to flow from it. The light materialized into a small, chubby, tan creature with black boxing gloves. Its eyes were closed and it smiled. _(Makuhita, the Guts Pokémon)_

Rui gasped, but it was drowned out by the crowd's noise. Didn't they see it? A strange aura surrounded Trudly's Pokémon. It danced and flicked around like fire; cinders sparked from it. But it was purple—a ghastly purple—one very close to black. If it wasn't some bodiless ethereal attachment, Makuhita would've been literally consumed.

"Sentret, Quick Attack!" ordered the boy. He didn't see it, Rui realized. He wouldn't be attacking so hastily if he did!

Sentret dashed and zigzagged through the people in the crowd, around Trudly, around its trainer, and then charged at Makuhita. The pudgy Pokémon, despite seeing the fur ball coming at it, made no move. It continued smiling and stood there. For a brief second, Rui could've sworn it even opened its eyes very slightly—enough to see a malicious, bloodthirsty glint in them.

It snatched Sentret by the tail. Holding it up, it displayed the Sentret like a prize—a hunter's prize. Trudly grinned, muttering his command, "Vital Throw."

Makuhita giggled; it was somewhat high-pitched and made Rui's hairs stand on end. Like a whip, it lashed the Sentret against the concrete. Sentret yelped. But Makuhita persisted—swinging it back and then smacking it on the ground. The yelping died immediately—blood took its place. Blood drips were on the ground and Sentret was unconscious.

"Stop!" shouted the boy. He ran up to the Makuhita, trying to pry Sentret from its grasp. Makuhita's invisible aura grew. Its color changed slowly to a deep crimson.

"Wait, don't!" she tried to shout. But she couldn't get the words out in time; Makuhita punched the boy in the gut. Then it forcefully threw the kid's Sentret into him, knocking him down and causing him to land on his back. He didn't have time to return the beaten Sentret to its Pokeball before finding Makuhita on top of him. Makuhita landed blows; already there was a crack, probably from the boy's broken nose. His cheeks became bruised instantaneously. His lip swelled. His eyes glazed over.

"Stop! Stop this! Call it back!"

Even the Makuhita stopped that time, watching as Rui dashed to the boy's body and cuddled him in her arms. Blood trickled down his nose and his breathing came out husky. He wasn't conscious anymore.

"Got a problem, miss?" asked Trudly.

"Stop beating up this kid! He already lost the battle! What more do you want?!"

"We were just having a little bit of fun." The crowd agreed, telling Rui to get her "bitchy ass off the streets."

"Fun? The kid's already unconscious! And what kind of Pokémon is _that_? Why does it have that strange aura?"

Folly and Trudly froze in place. The crowd didn't notice that; they kept shouting at Rui to get away. Time ticked in awkward seconds between Rui and the two men.

"Let's go, Trudly," said Folly.

Trudly nodded, recalled his Makuhita in its Pokeball, and both dashed off.

**0—0—00—0—0**

Pyrite Town's medical ward was a dirty building. Much like the rest of Pyrite, slime and grease manifested on the walls; the bed sheets had holes; and the equipment appeared to be used. Only two rooms, other than the doctor's office and the bathroom, were built into the small edifice. This was the only refuge injured trainers could seek. There wasn't a Pokémon Center, so Pokémon also had to be treated in this dump.

Rui sat next to the brutally-beaten boy's bed. His face was bandaged and his nose placed in a cast. The old medical monitor displayed stable vital signs. But the doctor said a blow to the head from a Makuhita could've meant a severe concussion. The same for the Sentret, which was thrown against the ground.

It was a couple hours past sun-down.

_Knock! Knock!_

"Miss," said the doctor from the room entrance. He had short, purple hair with one bang zigzagging down a couple inches in front of his face. The glasses he wore were tinted purple. "I'm going to lock up for the night. You may stay with the boy, but he will be transferred to Phenac City Hospital tomorrow morning."

Rui nodded. Tomorrow morning she had to leave to Agate Village anyway.

**0—0—00—0—0**

It was the middle of the night now. Rui exited the bathroom and silently shut the door. Nature had called. Yawning, she proceeded back to the boy's room to return to the chair in which she slept. But a ray of light on the floor caught her eye. She visually followed it, noticing the doctor's office was well-lit and the door ajar. Voices came from the office—the doctor had late-night visitors.

Rui's legs didn't listen to her commands to stop. They walked, slowly, as close to the door as possible. Her face bent forward just to see through the gap into the office. Two men—the _same_ two men from before, with the strange Makuhita—stood there, their backs to where Rui watched.

"She can see it?" came the voice of the doctor. "_That_ girl in the other room?"

"We don't know how," said Folly.

"Miror B said to come to you," followed Trudly. "He said you would know what to do."

Silence followed. The doctor thought.

"It's obvious, isn't it? If that girl can see the black aura, she might tell. We cannot allow suspicions to run amuck, even if nobody believed her. Get rid of her."

"Yes, Doctor Ein!" Folly and Trudly responded.

Rui backed away from the door and then made a turn to run away. Something knocked her down. Her backside throbbed from the impact on the tile floor. And to her horror, she saw that what knocked her down was the same Makuhita from earlier. Its smile was not comforting and it gave her that same bloodthirsty glare she saw before.

"So you're awake."

But before Rui could respond, one blow to the head sent her spiraling into a sea of darkness.

**0—0—00—0—0**

The Outskirt Stand, the "pit stop of the desert". Located in the southeast corner of the Orre region, it was both a small bar and restaurant built within a locomotive engine. Travelers would come in, enjoy a warm meal and cool drink, and listen to the news on the big screen TV or to the jukebox in the corner.

A teenager sat in the back booth of the Outskirt Stand. He wore a buttoned, navy blue trench coat over black slacks. His tan complexion made the white streak that crossed over his nose clearly visible. A pair of metallic goggles covered his eyes and there was a mechanical apparatus donned over his left arm. It was jet black, with red lines curving up its length. It looked almost like a prosthetic arm.

A waitress came up to him, holding a tray with food.

"Here you go, hun," she said. She placed a plate of steak with a glass of iced tea on the table.

"Thanks."

He took his goggles off his eyes and strapped them over his forehead, revealing a pair of hazel orbs. He smiled at the waitress, making her blush. She then returned to her position behind the bar. Her friend came over to her and whispered in her ear.

"Who's that boy, Macy? He sure looks cute."

"This is the first time I've seen him. Maybe he's new to Orre."

"Huh, is that so? He does appear foreign……Oh, by the way, did you hear about the explosion in Eclo Canyon earlier?"

"Of course I heard about it. There's been a live broadcast all morning."

The waitress grabbed the remote control. She pressed the power button and when the television flicked on, she turned to the news station, finding a news reporter pictured on the screen. The news reporter was standing in front of a damaged building in the canyons. Flames were spitting from the roof, attempting to survive the downpour of Water Guns from the police officers' Pokémon in the background. Barely anything was left of the building except a charcoal frame.

"Authorities have made a stunning announcement on the mysterious building that exploded in Eclo Canyon. It was Team Snag'em's hideout!" The waitresses gasped. The teenager in the back booth glared at the screen. "Team Snag'em is a gang of Pokémon abductors who have already been marked for arrest. The hideout was discovered only as a result of the explosion. By the time police arrived, the ruined building had already been abandoned. The cause of the explosion is under investigation and should become apparent eventually. Until then, keep a close watch on your most trusted news station."

More film coverage of the building was shown on the television screen, giving the two waitresses time to chat excitedly.

"T-Team Snag'em?!" exclaimed Macy. "Did they actually say they found Team Snag'em's base?!"

"I can't believe it," said the other waitress. "Team Snag'em is the most fearsome criminal organization in Orre. How could their base just explode like that? It's scary. And to think they're still out there!"

Macy looked over to the far booth. The teenager had left—his plate and cup were left empty and he even left the money he owed on the side. "Hey, where did that boy go?" she asked.

If the waitress had looked outside the window, she would see that he was confronted outside the Outskirt Stand by another boy his age. This one had pink hair and the standard cowboy ensemble. They stared each other down.

"So, are you a trainer?" asked the cowboy.

The boy muttered monotonously, "I am. What's it matter to you?"

The cowboy chuckled, taking two Pokeballs from his belt. "My name is Willie, and I too am a Pokémon trainer. Normally I don't battle trainers randomly like this, but I sensed a strong power in you as soon as you entered the restaurant. So what do you say? Care for a battle?"

No reaction came from the boy. He was clearly contemplating the idea before he closed his eyes and let out a chuckle himself.

"Sure, why not?" he replied. He released two Pokémon in front of him. One was a black fox with yellow bands around its ears and tail and yellow rings imprinted on its forehead and legs. _(Umbreon, the Moonlight Pokémon)_ The other was also a fox, but with a more feline appearance. It had clumps of hair near its ears, a skinny, forked tail, and a red jewel embedded in its forehead. _(Espeon, the Sun Pokémon)_

"Umbreon and Espeon are my choice," he said.

"Fine," said Willie. "Then I choose Zig and Zag!" Willie's two Pokeballs opened to reveal two raccoon-like creatures with zigzagged layers of light and dark brown fur. _(Zigzagoon, the Tinyraccoon Pokémon.)_

"I introduced myself already. What about you? You got a name?"

The trainer of the Espeon and Umbreon grinned. "Yes. My name…is Wes."

**0—0—00—0—0**

**Rui: "Hey, where am I? Why am I bound and gagged like this? Just great, me and my big mouth! I see a strange Pokémon and those goons kidnap me! If anyone can hear me, **_**help me**_**!"**

**Next time: Wes, the Pokémon Snagger**


	2. Wes, the POKEMON Snagger

_One: Though Pokemon Colosseum is a Generation 3 game, you may notice in this chapter that I have used a Generation 4 attack. This is no mistake, as I am mostly used to Generation 4 by now (what with Pokemon Diamond and Pearl out, and soon to be Battle Revolution). However, for the sake of accuracy with the Colosseum game, I will only be using Generation 3 and before Pokemon._

_Two: Simply to follow the games, the word "Pokemon" will be typed in CAPS, as well as the species name of specific POKEMON._

_That is all._

**000000000**

The boy in the blue trench coat was currently confronted outside the Outskirt Stand. He was staring down another teenager with pink hair, and wearing the "standard" cowboy ensemble.

"So, are you a trainer?" asked the cowboy.

The boy muttered monotonously, "I am. What's it matter to you?"

The cowboy chuckled, taking two Pokeballs from his belt.

"My name is Willie, and I too am a POKEMON trainer. Normally I don't battle trainers randomly like this, but I sensed a strong power in you as soon as you entered the restaurant. So what do you say? Care for a battle?"

No reaction came from the boy. He was clearly contemplating the idea before he closed his eyes and let out a chuckle himself.

"Sure, why not?" he replied. He released two POKEMON in front of him. One was a black fox with yellow bands around its ears and tail, and yellow rings imprinted on its forehead and legs. _(UMBREON, the Moonlight POKEMON)_ The other was also a fox, but with a more feline appearance. It had clumps of hair near its ears, a skinny, forked tail, and red jewel embedded in its forehead. _(ESPEON, the Sun POKEMON)_

"Umbreon and espeon are my choice," he said.

"Fine," said Willie. "Then I choose Zig and Zag!"

Willie's two Pokeballs opened to reveal two raccoon-like creatures with zigzagged layers of light and dark brown fur. _(Zigzagoon, the Tinyraccoon Pokemon.)_

"I introduced myself and my Pokemon already. What about you? You got a name?"

The trainer of the espeon and umbreon grinned.

"Yes. My name…is Wes."

**0—CHAPTER TWO—0**

**00—00**

**0—Wes, the POKEMON Snagger—0**

The two trainers stared each other down. Their POKEMON were prime and ready to battle. Each of their muscles were tense, poised to spring into action at a second's command.

Wes flexed his hands, and gave his Pokemon the first command.

"ESPEON, use Psychic! UMBREON, Faint Attack!"

The two tinyraccoon POKEMON were caught off-guard in a psychokinetic hold. They struggled to break the bonds, but to no avail. And that left them as nothing more than sitting GOLDUCKs, so that UMBREON could pounce on them and throw them about. They let out squeals upon impact with the ground.

"Zig! Zag!" cried Willie. "Come on! Get up!"

The ZIGZAGOONs jumped up at their trainer's call. They still had enough energy left to continue battling.

"Heh, you're good," Willie commented to Wes. "And sneaky, too. I better be careful."

He analyzed the field quickly. Wes's UMBREON had already rejoined its partner POKEMON, and it was clearly ready for another shot at its opponents.

"Zig! Use Headbutt on that UMBREON!"

One of the ZIGZAGOONs charged forward towards the moonlight POKEMON. But it remained motionless, knowing full well what its trainer was thinking.

Wes grinned. He commanded, "ESPEON, catch it with Psychic!"

But to his surprise, ESPEON had jumped up, ignoring the trainer's call. It appeared to have dodged a projectile coming from the opponent. To Wes's closer inspection, it was a blue-colored berry. And then, realizing his own distraction, he attempted to give UMBREON an order, but was too late. It was hit by the ZIGZAGOON.

"And you called me sneaky?" he muttered.

"You didn't honestly expect me to attack without some sort of defensive maneuver, did you?" said Willie. "I figured you'd try to use your ESPEON's psychic abilities to try another combination with your UMBREON. But with Zag as back up, it used an attack called Fling, which hurls any held item the POKEMON is holding at the opponent. Zag was holding an Oran Berry that I gave it earlier, so it used it to make your ESPEON dodge, thus distracting it."

Wes was slightly impressed by the maneuver, and yet revealed no such thing on his neutral expression. He didn't want to compliment his opponent too much.

"ESPEON! UMBREON! To the wings!"

The two fox-like Pokemon nodded. ESPEON dashed to the right border of the battle field, while UMBREON remained to the left. They began to run swiftly around the area, causing Willie and his Pokemon to constantly turn their heads. They were clearly dealing with swift opponents, as the sun and moonlight POKEMON were practically blurs.

"Both of you use Odor Sleuth!" Willie exclaimed.

The ZIGZAGOONs closed their eyes. Back and forth, they titled their heads and their noses squirmed. They were picking up some type of scent, and Wes had a feeling he knew what.

"Odor Sleuth is an attack that cancels out any attempts for you to increase your POKEMON's evasiveness," said Willie. "It also helps increase the accuracy of the user because it picks up on its opponent's smell. So your UMBREON and ESPEON will have a hard time dodging this. Headbutt!"

The tinyraccoon POKEMON diverged to the boundaries of the battlefield. It seemed that their paths would indeed collide with the course Wes's POKEMON were taking. But Wes was not intimidated by the command. In fact, he appeared to have expected it.

"ESPEON, use Double Team! UMBREON, use Faint Attack!"

Both the sun and moonlight POKEMON stopped in their tracks. ESPEON quickly disappeared in a second's flash, only to be replaced with clones of itself sitting calmly around its opponent. The ZIGZAGOON was baffled now. On the other side, UMBREON vanished into wisps. Its bewildered opponent did not realize that it would be ambushed from behind. UMBREON head butted it, and the tinyraccoon POKEMON fainted.

"Zag!" Willie shouted.

Wes took this opportunity to give ESPEON a signal. The sun POKEMON's clones' eyes shifted from dark purple to a pale blue color. Psychokinetic blasts of energy were shot forth from each clone's jewel embedded in its forehead. With no means of defending itself, Zig eventually collapsed. It too had fainted.

Willie fell on his knees in defeat. Weakly, he pulled out his two Pokeballs to recall his POKEMON. In beams of red light, they returned to take their proper rests.

"Wow," said Willie, standing up and wiping his nose. "I was outmanned, outclassed, and out-skilled. You're far better than I thought."

He offered his hand over to Wes, expecting a handshake. The other trainer saw no reason to turn the other cheek, and closed his own hand over the other. Both looked at each other sternly, and Wes noticed that Willie was still smiling, even after losing.

"You know," Willie continued, retracting his hand. "I have this here entry pass to get into the Colosseums…"

He searched his pockets until he found what he was looking for. In his hand, he held a golden card with a Pokeball symbol. There was no writing on it, just a barcode on the backside.

"You deserve this. In case you're interested, Orre has what is called Colosseums. It offers a chance to compete against strong trainers from around the world. The first one is at Phenac City, which you're likely headed to. So here, take it."

Wes put his hand out in front of him.

"I'm not interested in that type of thing. I'm just traveling."

"Well, you might change your mind," Willie said. "It'd be a waste for me to have it. After battling you, it's clear I've got more training to do before I can ever hope to compete. And even if you don't use it, you might find someone else who has a use for it."

Wes was reluctant, but he took the Colosseum Pass anyway. He stared at it, and then back at Willie.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Sure, I'm sure. I can apply for another one when I feel I'm ready. Just be careful, though. If we ever meet again, I'm gonna beat 'ya!"

The other boy grinned, turning around to walk over to his hover motorcycle. His two POKEMON followed him and climbed into the sidecar.

"I guess that's a future challenge I should look forward to…" said Wes.

He climbed onto his vehicle, ignited the engine, and in less than a minute, was blazing across the desert.

**000000000**

Muffled sounds attempted to reach through the thick fabric of the sack two men were carrying. It wriggled, but even then it was a feeble attempt. The two men who were carrying it were strong, and their grips firm.

"Hey! Quiet in there!" said one of the men. The voice was recognizable to the person bound inside.

But the man's commands only egged the person on. They continued to twist and turn, even with ropes tied around their wrists and ankles. They would have screamed, but duct tape covered their mouth. And in all their inner pandemonium, all they kept thinking was, "Me and my big mouth!"

**000000000**

Phenac City was known as the opulent city of water. The pristine liquid would leak from the roof of a massive dome at the northern end of town, like a waterfall, wind its way along the aqueduct-like walls and roofs of houses, and finally into the man-made streams between the sidewalks. The walls, walkways, and houses of the multi-tiered city were made from a concrete, marble-like substance, which camouflaged itself with the desert sand.

A stream of dust was approaching this fair city. One would think it to be a concentrated sandstorm if they had not a closer look. It was a hover motorcycle speeding across the desert. The driver was none other than Wes, wearing his metallic goggles over his eyes to protect them from the sun and environment. His POKEMON remained seated in the sidecar, allowing the breeze made by their speed to rustle through their fur.

"Phenac City is up ahead, guys," Wes told his companions.

And as he made close contact to the city, two suspicious gentlemen were having troubles of their own at the city entrance…

**000000000**

The two kidnappers were beginning to have difficulty carrying away their prisoner due to constant struggling inside the sack. They tried to keep a hold, but Rui, the captive, was determined to make it far from easy. Her kidnappers were the very two men who possessed the strange MAKUHITA.

"Trudly!" said the spiky-haired man. "Get a grip, will 'ya?"

The other man, Trudly, replied, "Yeah, you say that, but she won't stop squirming! It makes it harder.

"Hey!" he shouted to the sack. "Settle down in there. Just be quiet for a little longer."

But she disobeyed. Muffled sounds emanated through its seams, until she let out a "Bleh!" She then began to cry out, "Help! Someone! Kidnappers!"

"Oh, crap," said Trudly. "That tape didn't stick."

He turned his head slightly. To his surprise, he saw a boy standing at the entrance of Phenac City, staring at them. They were caught in the act.

"Uh, Folly…"

"What is it?"

Trudly dropped his side of the sack (which thankfully only contained Rui's feet) and raised a shaking hand. He pointed towards the boy that was looking their way, trembling. Folly, annoyed by his partner's actions, turned to see what Trudly was pointing at. He, too, realized that they were caught.

But he only grinned. Facing the trainer, he took a Pokeball from his belt and released a pink marshmallow of a POKEMON. It was short, and faintly round. Its two ears on its head were long, but bent over, with a tan tip on both of them. Its eyes were more like crosses and its mouth remained opened, almost like it wanted to scream. _(WHISMUR, the Whisper POKEMON)_

"Kid, whatever you heard, blame it on your own bad luck."

The boy didn't have to release any POKEMON. His two companions, ESPEON and UMBREON, were already by his side. He looked down towards the sun POKEMON, and it nodded in response. It leapt before its trainer, poised for battle.

"WHISMUR, use Pound!" commanded Folly.

His POKEMON obeyed, charging forward with one of its short arms raised. But in retaliation, the ESPEON caught it within a telekinetic hold. The WHISMUR let out a soft cry. It could not break from its current predicament, and without much effort, it was thrown into its trainers abdomen. Folly was sent flying back a couple of feet back, landing soundly on his backside. WHISMUR fainted.

"Y-You're not a normal trainer, are you?" Trudly asked.

With a humph and a growl, Folly returned his POKEMON to its Pokeball and stood back up. He gave the boy one look over before letting out a gasp.

"Y-You couldn't be…" he started. "Are you…could you be…"

"Hey, look! A POKEMON battle!" exclaimed one of the pedestrians.

Folly and Trudly cringed at the attention. Leaving their captive behind, they jumped into a green hover Jeep they left parked, and immediately drove off.

Those who decided to check out the situation groaned in disappointment. The thought of a POKEMON battle was exciting for them and for one of the "trainers" to flee brought an immediate close to their anticipation. But only two people arrived on the scene, a young boy in a T-shirt and sweat shorts, and lady in a purple suit.

"Hey, there's someone in here!" exclaimed the boy, pointing to the sack. He attempted to undo the knot that kept it bound shut, but it was too tight for him to grasp.

The ESPEON's trainer bent down to give it a try. Being older, his long fingers were able to dig into the knot. He loosened the rope and finally untied it all together. With the sack open, Rui was able to climb out. The rope that had tied her wrists and ankles fell to ground (apparently she had managed to untie herself earlier).

"Phew!" she sighed. She took in a gulp of air, filling her lungs. But when she looked around, her expression was that of puzzlement.

She asked, "Where am I?"

"You're in Phenac City, dear," informed the lady. "This person here saved you."

Rui turned to the trainer. She bowed.

"Thank you. My name is Rui. May I ask the name of my savior?"

"Wes," he replied dully.

"Well, Wes, thank you, again. I was captured back in Pyrite Town. Those men have been lugging me around for who-knows-how-long. Wait!"

With her memory flooding back to her, she remembered her encounter with Folly and Trudly. They were using a strange POKEMON, and she had been knocked out in the Pyrite Hospital.

"Did you happen to see them use an odd POKEMON, by any chance?" she quickly asked.

"Odd POKEMON? What do you mean by that?" replied the lady.

"Uh…nothing. Nothing at all."

"Well, it's clear you have something on your mind," the lady continued. "You should visit our mayor. He's a kind gentleman."

"And he'll likely be able to help you with whatever problems you have," interjected the boy.

Rui nodded. She thought their advice was acceptable.

The lady explained the directions, "Go past the fountain square. You'll notice a broad staircase that leads to a higher tier of the city. Once you go up those stairs, head to your left, down the street. The mayor's house is the largest house. It isn't hard to miss.

"Good luck."

The lady and the boy left, returning to their activities and prior engagements. Rui was left alone with Wes, who began to proceed on his way. The girl nervously approached him. She said in almost a whisper, "Wes…if you don't mind…could I possibly hang out with you for a little bit?"

Wes did not even return her gaze. He continued to walk away, but in a loud enough voice for her to hear, he replied, "Sure. Just be sure to keep up."

**000000000**

Folly and Trudly did not drive far off from Phenac City. In fact, they had only reached five miles into the desert before they stopped. They called their boss, who wasn't exactly ecstatic at the news they had to deliver. And even with their cell phone set to low volume, their boss's voice was earsplitting.

"What do you mean you lost the girl?! First you upset me by interrupting me-time with my groovy POKEMON, and then you _anger_ me with this!"

"W-We're sorry, Master Miror B.," said Folly. "We had the girl, but something sorta came up…"

"Yeah," continued Trudly. "There was this really strong trainer who beat Folly with ease!"

"Shut up, you idiot! Don't go yapping your mouth off!" Folly whispered, smacking his partner upside his head.

"Boys," said the voice of their boss over the phone, "you better hope this trainer you met really is strong, because if I find that you messed up my groove to simply waste time, I will wring _both of your necks_!"

The dial tone was all that was heard now. Folly and Trudly gulped.

**000000000**

Rui kept turning her head about in awe at the beautiful city. There was no slime or grease like she remembered in Pyrite Town. Everything was as clean and sanitary as the water that ebbed its way through the metropolitan. Speaking of it, the water appeared cool and refreshing to Rui. She almost wanted to jump in it and dance about. But Wes, on the other hand, was not one who cared to take in the sights. He kept walking along in boring fashion, following the directions that were given to them by the lady a couple of minutes earlier. They had already passed the fountain square and just now were making their way up the staircase to another tier of the city.

Rui tried to make conversation.

"So, Wes, what do you plan on doing when we finish talking to the mayor?"

"I don't know. I was hoping to do some traveling. I'm actually getting tired of Orre. There's nothing new or exciting about it. What about you, uh…"

"Rui."

"Whatever."

"What do you mean 'whatever'?!" she shouted. "I told you my name already. Don't be rude!"

"Whatever."

They had only met ten minutes before, and already she wasn't fond of Wes's arrogant attitude. "Grr! Why you—!"

"We're here."

Rui stopped her shouting. Looking over Wes's shoulder (as she walking behind him the entire time), she saw that they were standing before a two-story house—the only two-story house on the entire street. The lady wasn't lying when she informed them of that.

There was nothing else special about it, however. Due to the houses being in the middle of the city, there were no lawns or gardens. There was nothing much to decorate, as paint would ruin the walls and doors.

Wes walked up to the door, giving it a firm knock. This was the part where the two wondered if anyone was home, before their question was knocked. Someone came to the door, though seemed surprise to find visitors at his doorstep.

The one who answered was a short man, only reaching in the range of four feet in stature, but with a portly build. He was bald except for the ring of curly, gray hair around the back of head, which pointed out to each side. His dress was not extremely formal, but far from casual. It consisted of a white dress shirt with a violet-colored vest and brown blazer with matching slacks. If the directions Wes and Rui followed were correct, then this was likely the mayor.

"Hello, there. May I help you?" the man said.

"Hi. Are…you the mayor?" Rui asked.

"Why, yes I am, miss. My name is Es Cade. I take it you two are tourists to the city." He smiled, and quickly took a step to the side. "Please, come in, come in. Guests are always welcome in my home. Would either of you care for some tea? Or perhaps a bite to eat?"

Wes accepted the invitation to enter without much hesitance. Rui followed him in, and nodded at the mayor's asking of tea. This pleased the mayor, Es Cade, who immediately dashed off to the kitchen.

His house was hospitable, with a distinctly comfortable atmosphere floating about. The living room they were lead into was nothing to brag about. It was square-shaped, with a carpeted floor of a maroon hue. The television rested by the window, which remained with closed blinds. This was likely to prevent the sun from blinding the viewer, who would have to sit on the couch across from it. The couch and adjacent armchairs were light brown, with an oak table seated in the center.

Es Cade had left the television on, watching the news. No volume emanated from it, as it had been set on mute, but captions were provided. The broadcaster was interviewing a man by the name of Vander. Neither of the two teenagers seated in the living room were paying any attention, however. Wes was in his own daydream while Rui tried to return control to her jittering hands. She was nervous, but she believed this to be a wise decision to talk to the mayor.

The mayor came into the room. He said, "While we wait for the tea, let us talk. Please, sit."

The two sat on the couch, while the mayor took one of the armchairs. "So what may I do for you this fine day?" he asked.

Rui put her hand to her chin. She was thinking of the words to use and how to say what needed to be said. But she simply blurted out, "I saw it!"

Es Cade returned her a puzzled look.

"'Saw it'? Saw what, may I ask?"

Rui glanced at Wes with a questioning expression. He nodded, thinking that is what she wanted.

"I saw a peculiar POKEMON," she continued. "It was being controlled by these two men who I saw in Pyrite Town, and when I confronted them about it, they kidnapped me and brought me here for some reason. The POKEMON gave off a black aura!"

"A black aura, you say?" The mayor was surprised, and yet at the same time, one could see him struggling with himself whether to believe her. But rather than debate over it, he made a motion to speak, only to be interrupted by a high-pitched squeal. It sounded as if it was coming from the kitchen, which meant the water must've been boiling already. The mayor stood up and made his way to the kitchen.

Rui breathed in heavily, letting her nerves calm themselves. She knew the story she had to tell was anything but normal, practically insane. She thought the mayor would even think of her as a prankster, and kick the two out of his house for wasting his time. But even now, she didn't know whether he believed them or not. This didn't enlighten her.

"Even if he doesn't believe it, you saw what you saw," said Wes, his voice breaking through the barriers of her mind. She turned to him, only to see a stern face. Could he read her mind, or were her thoughts just predictable?

The mayor returned again, carrying two china cups with him. The water had been poured in, and the tea bags were placed next to the cups. He gave the two teens their appropriate drink, and returned to his seat.

"Now," he began again, "let me hear this story in more detail. A POKEMON with a black aura is simply hard to believe. Not that I think a sweet child like you would lie to me…"

No one made a reply. It was certainly an awkward moment. As if to break the silence, the front door was broken into, creating a loud clattering noise at the entrance.

"Oh, Mr. Mayor," called a voice. "We need to talk!" It sounded like a feigned sweetness, coating some form of maliciousness. And at the living room entrance stood a man in a golden sequin-studded suit. He was an odd one, sporting garnish glasses, as well, and a bi-colored afro of red and white. Not only did his outfit speak of disco, it was hard to miss. Two men came up beside him, turning out to be Folly and Trudly, to Wes and Rui's surprise.

"Miror B., sir, that's him!" shouted Folly, pointing a finger a Wes. "That's the kid who beat us!"

Wes blinked sheepishly before pointing his own finger at himself questioningly. "Me?" he asked.

"Oh, how pathetic," Miror B. said. "You're telling me you were defeated by these 'darling' children?" He slapped both men upside their heads, knocking them forward to the ground. His smile was anything but happy, but rather, one that carried some type of "venom" behind it.

"You must excuse my manners, children. These two men simply interrupted my big dance classes. I don't like to be interrupted.

"And to make matters worse, you two have already involved yourselves in something far beyond your comprehension. You've only got yourselves to blame for that."

He bent down to grab Folly and Trudly by the back of their collars. "Boys," he told them. "Don't fail me this time. Bring in _both_ the girl _and_ the boy…and while you're at it, bring the mayor, as well. He's certainly seen too much. I will be returning to Pyrite to see my darling POKEMON."

He took a CD player and a set of earphones from his pocket. Setting the earphones in his ears, he turned on the music and _danced_ his way outside. This left Folly and Trudly to do as they were told. But they didn't seem too upset about their task. Grins were actually plastered on their faces.

"You may think you have won, kid, but you were just lucky!" Folly said. "With witnesses walking about, we simply couldn't get caught. So it'd be best if you turned you, your girlfriend, and the mayor came with us, and we won't have to damage such a lovely home."

Wes was unimpressed. He stood up from his seat with a scowl, and released his ESPEON and UMBREON from their Pokeballs immediately.

"Oh, so that's how you wanna play? Fine by us," said Trudly, taking a Pokeball from his belt. He released a MAKUHITA, which Rui recognized with ease.

"That's the strange POKEMON!" she exclaimed. "Mayor, these are the men who kidnapped me for seeing _that_ POKEMON!"

The mayor, however, was either hard of hearing, or was too frightened to listen. He was shaking where he stood, as if arguing with himself what to do; whether to call the police, to hide, or confront the gentlemen who broke into his house so suddenly.

"B-But…I d-don't see any black aura…" he said.

Rui looked at him strangely. He was acting like the people of Pyrite who made no reaction to it. She turned to Wes, but he shook his head before she could ask. She was the only one who saw the fiery-black aura that surrounded the guts POKEMON.

"Don't count me out," Folly said. He took a Pokeball from his belt, like his partner, and released another Pokemon Rui recognized. It was SENTRET, exactly like that of the boy who was beaten up back in Pyrite. But it too was engulfed in the same aura as the MAKUHITA.

Folly laughed at her. "You remember this SENTRET, right?"

Rui gasped. There was no way. It may have looked like the same POKEMON that the other boy possessed, but it couldn't actually have been…

"After we kidnapped you, we stole this SENTRET from that boy," explained Folly. "He was still beat up pretty bad, so he couldn't do anything about it. And 'Doctor' Ein then took care of the boy. For all I know, he could've actually transferred the kid to a different hospital or maybe he threw him off a cliff…"

Rui's eyes widened. She may not have known the boy, but she could never imagine such a treatment to another person. It was barbaric. It was impossible…wasn't it?

"Rui," Wes said. "Those two Pokemon are the strange POKEMON you're talking about, right?"

She nodded slowly.

"Good, that's all I need to know. And mayor, I'm sorry in advance for what happens to your house…

"ESPEON, use Psychic!"

The sun POKEMON unleashed streams of psychokinetic energy at its opponent, MAKUHITA.

"SENTRET, use Tail Whip to rebound it!"

MAKUHITA was blocked by the scout POKEMON. The squirrel-like creature spun its tail wildly, serving as a racket to diverge the psychic energy in various directions. They exploded upon contact with the wall or the ground, sending a bit of smoke around.

"Why don't you try a different strategy, kid?" said Folly. "You already used that when my guard was down earlier."

"A different strategy? Why don't you turn around?"

Folly and Trudly would've wished they didn't do just like he said. The same could be said for their Pokemon. Wes's UMBREON was standing behind them, so that when they turned to stare at it, they would be gazing into a pair of glowing, purple orbs. They were held in place, but not by an outside force, rather, their own fear.

UMBREON vanished, leaving the pair of men and their POKEMON unaware as it bashed its body into the MAKUHITA. It was sent flying into the wall, shaking both the house and forming a crater. The house was indeed falling apart, as a large boulder from the second story floor collapsed. Rui dove towards the mayor, knocking the both of them into the kitchen entrance, away from the spot where the floor was impacted.

"Mayor, I think it would be safer if you hid," Rui suggested. Es Cade nodded, running off down a staircase that likely led from the kitchen to the basement. Rui stayed to watch.

Wes chuckled.

"Mean Look, followed by Faint Attack…it works every time. And now to take care of business."

He picked up an empty Pokeball in his left hand from a hidden pocket of his trench coat. The machination attached to his left arm activated, forming a brilliant light around the object. It morphed the Pokeball's color completely jet black, giving it a menacing appearance. He threw it at the MAKUHITA, much to the surprise of Folly, Trudly, and Rui. And to further astonish them, it opened upon contact with the guts POKEMON, releasing the formation of an open hand. It grabbed hold of its target, and in a blinding light, the MAKUHITA was captured within the back-to-normal Pokeball.

The crumbling living room was silent. It was clear that everyone other than Wes was taken aback by this unexpected event. Wes walked over to the Pokeball, and picked it up from the ground.

"H-How…you couldn't h-have…" Trudly was at a loss of words. What more could be expected from the apparently former owner of the MAKUHITA?

"Who are you?!" Folly exclaimed, just as stunned as his partner.

It was Wes's turn to laugh now. His laugh was both hearty and condescending, as if the answer to that question was obvious.

"I am Wes," he said. "I happen to be the highest-ranking 'snagger' of Team Snag'Em." He pointed towards Folly's SENTRET. "And now, for _your_ POKEMON…"

**000000000**

**Preview:**

**Wes: **You two should've rethought your decision to battle me. No one has ever defeated me in a POKEMON battle! Your SENTRET is mine!

**Rui: **Wes…you're part of Team Snag'Em?! But then, why don't those Team Snag'Em grunts look happy to see you?

**Wes: **Every man has his past. But I didn't want to put up with it now, of all times!

**Rui:** Next time: "VS. Team Snag'Em".

**Team Snag'Em:** Wes, you're not getting way with your sins!

**000000000**

_I can't promise that the next chapter will be put up soon. I would definitely try my best to finish it as soon as possible, but I will be on vacation next week, without a computer. If I don't get it up the end of this week, then expect it to be delayed. Thanks for your understanding._


End file.
